Conversation Agent - Valeria Maltoni

Digital Products as Evolution of Content

Two years ago, I wrote down some thoughts around creating demand for your content with a very high level overview of the evolution of online content discovery (above). As I said in the post, when I started Conversation Agent, after the launch and heavy use of portals as the online one-stop place to find things, often tied to a free email account, being online and establishing an identity was tied mainly to having a blog. Blogs or at least a place where to outline ideas and collaborate on making them happen are making a strong comeback. I'll have more to... Read more →

Making a Request From Fans the Keystone of a Product Launch

It's a couple of years old and still so relevant today. (we're also a couple of years old and just getting started, aren't we?) Swedish agency Forsman & Bodenfors was hired by SVT, Sweden's public service broadcaster, to launch their SVT Play app for iPhone to support their on demand web service. Besides having no media budget, the agency also had no idea when Apple would approve the app. One of the best ways I know of to demonstrate value is by showing customer demand for a product or serivce. F&B invited all the SVT Play fans to participate in... Read more →

The Service Economy

I was reflecting upon how many of the services we enjoy today stem from the early days of the Web. The graph above depicts the shift in focus and production from goods to the administering of services in the American economy. Products got progressively better with the introduction of technology, the ability to automate beyond production to qualitative measurements. They also improved with the introduction of feedback loops from customers. Two main forms of feedback: an increasing array of choices that gave us the ability to buy the better performing items the ability to "talk back" to the organization making... Read more →

11 Marketing Lessons from Hitchcock

I just saw the new Hitchcock movie, which tells the story of the making of Psycho. While Hitchcock himself made cameo appearances in his movies, it was clear from the story that his wife held center stage in his creative life. In a way, both where there -- he in the movies, she in the plot, connections, script, and financing -- influential, yet not blatant or obvious. We should do the same with our marketing. Be there, focused on the the customer, designing service experiences that help them do what they want to do without making the exchange all about... Read more →

Commerce and Media Continue to Blend

This is a trend, and not a fad.When we talked about creative ways of going to the movies, we scratched the surface on what is to come. We're seeing it every day in our work -- thanks in part to better technology platforms and systems integrations and in part to savvier shoppers armed with a smartphone#, media companies that do well are learning to behave more like retailers. Guess where you can buy screening tickers for the upcoming Man of Steel by Warner Bros.? That's right, at Walmart. The company has been dedicating resources to identify how its digital presence... Read more →

What Should we Be Worried About?

A million years ago, I asked Conversation Agent readers -- Has Web 2.0 made you happier? It was so long ago that we've since stopped referring to it as Web 2.0. The responses may surprise you. I like discussions around thought provoking questions. Give me an open enough question, and I can facilitate a large room of individuals helping each articulate their point of view and be heard. For many years, I held these discussions in person, see building a platform here. In the first five years of this blog, the conversation was spirited. Then with the birth of all... Read more →

There is no One Best Content Strategy; it’s all about Context

From Content Magazine, Sally Whiting on the parallels between archiving and content strategy: Curation properly begins with a mission statement, whether you’re a content creator or a researcher assembling resources: What is it you are trying to say? What does your collection represent? When you’re a content creator, focus becomes even more crucial. A good content strategist wouldn’t let you set up even a Twitter feed without a full understanding of how you’re going to use it and what it’s going to do for you. Are you a design firm looking for new clients? Sure then, use Twitter to talk... Read more →

Why You Need Buy-in to Get Attention

While I've often tucked this idea into articles and posts, it is especially useful to review some of the reasons why your programs and resource investment may not be working as they should. Start with the product This is kind of obvious, yet it bears repeating. In a rapidly changing environment that puts customers front and center, most organizations are not creating the most appropriate (and enjoyable) experiences for people. Which means they are unknowingly delivering disconnected impressions. Start with the job to get done. Does your product still fill a need? Is the service in need of improvement? Maybe... Read more →

Designing Experiences that Fit the Business

The bottom line: design to the way the business is. Whenever we think about memorable experiences a business can offer its customers, the end point or aspirational vision is often grand. It usually follows a pattern that has led us to professional success -- we've done it over there, with that other brand, and it worked. Two thoughts on why that will not work. Formulaic approach While in the past it was sufficient to imitate a similar brand and adopt a slightly better formula to stand out, we live at a time when people can hire a surprising roster of... Read more →

One Application of Mobile Technology

We often discuss tools that allow us to become more productive by shaving time and effort out of processes. When traveling with some airlines we can choose to receive a mobile boarding pass. So I was thinking about tying the sign in process into a building to receive a scan code for access with a time limit -- in other words, it would need to be used within a certain time from entering the building. The act of scanning sends a message to the person you are visiting that you are there and records your visit into their CRM system.... Read more →